Episode 22 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts...

This is beautiful.

That's the way to do this.

..with £200 each, a classic car

and a goal to scour for antiques.

-Joy.

-Hello!

The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction,

but it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

So, will it be the high road to glory

or the slow road to disaster?

The handbrake's on.

This is Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

It's the second leg of the road trip for James Braxton and Charlie Ross.

You're winning. You've pulled away.

I am leading by a canvas.

-Just a canvas.

-Just a canvas.

In the last leg, Charlie went to a great deal of effort...

Ah! Oh!

Oh! TIM LAUGHS

..and we learned about James's secret weapon.

I bring a new thing in my life, which is yoga.

You are taking on the athlete of antiques.

The boys are travelling in a 1961 Ford Zephyr,

manufactured before fitting seatbelts became mandatory.

Charlie's lagging a bit behind after the first leg,

but it's early days in this battle between two Road Trip veterans.

-I will spend every penny I have.

-You like to spend up.

I like to spend up. I like to have the jeopardy.

Do you feel, though, sometimes that

this sort of idea that you want to go full in...

-..it let's in, you know, Mr Careless through the open door?

-Yes, yes...

-Could be, couldn't it?

-You speak words of wisdom.

Have you ever thought of being a housemaster?

JAMES LAUGHS

Charlie began this trip with £200,

but made a small loss at their first auction.

He kicks off today with £197.62.

James has a narrow lead.

He also started with £200 and made a small profit,

so he has £220.10 today.

This road trip sees our boys

travelling from Boston, in Lincolnshire,

heading through Norfolk and Cambridgeshire,

onto Leicestershire,

before finishing in the Surrey town of Cobham.

Today's leg sees the fellas start off

in the Lincolnshire town of Stamford,

then travel east around Norfolk,

before ending up at an auction

in the Cambridgeshire market town of St Ives.

-We're shopping together today.

-Good.

-In Stamford?

-In Stamford.

-It's a lovely county, isn't it?

-It's beautiful.

-Lovely county.

-Beautiful.

Is Stamford in Lincolnshire or Rutland?

I haven't a clue. Stamfordshire, isn't it?

-No, there isn't a Stamfordshire.

-Oh, OK.

It's actually in Lincolnshire, James.

I'll do the geography, thanks.

First off, James and Charlie are going head-to-head in the same shop,

so stand by.

This doesn't look like an antiques shop to me.

-Looks like an old barn.

-Looks like an old courtyard.

Have you brought me to the right place?

Never judge a book by its cover.

St Martins Antiques Centre has been running since 1993

and has space for 70 dealers,

so plenty for the chaps to get their teeth into.

-Oh!

-Hello.

-What lovely ladies. Hello, I'm Charlie.

Today, Lucinda is Charlie's guide and Lynne is James's.

Gosh, look at this gardening.

My wife would have an absolute field day here.

Oh, that's dangerous, though, isn't it?

-Is it sharp?

-It's sharp enough.

HE TOOTS HORN

Er, perhaps not, James.

I've got this lovely pewter-lidded box here.

It's a box within a box.

We can take that out. Suffered some damage here,

engraved, and definitely for tea.

This is for tea - this is for housing tea.

And this is a mighty tea chest, isn't it?

This is on a big scale. Tea's still valuable.

It's got a lot going for it. It's got a bit of damage there.

Er, but I love it. It's a great item, isn't it?

This 19th-century Chinese tea caddy has a ticket price of £105.

-What are you looking at?

-Would 45 buy it, Martin?

I'd like closer to 60.

Well, how about 50?

-Five?

-50.

-Five.

THEY CHUCKLE

Oh, I'm a gambling man. Well done, Martin.

Well, that may be the first, Martin. May be the first. Look at that.

-I think that's lovely.

-We love that.

-Clearly...

-I like that.

James is off the mark - and with a generous discount too.

HE TOOTS HORN

First purchase made! Thank you.

Good to see you're remaining graceful, James.

-RATCHET CLICKS

-What a fantastic noise.

And I thought that was for football matches,

but it says here it's a bird scarer.

Ooh. Hello. Hello!

I can see an ebony parallel rule there.

-Let's open up.

-Open up, Lucinda. Show me the wares.

Let me just have a look.

I love this, and I think...

They've put circa 1910...

I would beg to differ.

I actually think that's earlier.

It's ever so cheap - it's £14.

That would've come in a job lot for somebody, wouldn't it?

Do you think they'd sell me that for a fiver? I like it.

It's got a bit of a crack in there, but, you know...

-..that might give me a chance.

-I'd say about eight.

-What you think?

-Eight?

-OK, are you able to deal with this?

-Well, I'm offering you eight.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-We have... May I?

-You may.

-Mwah! ..a deal!

-Excellent.

-£8. Put it on one side.

This 19th-century parallel rule

used by draughtsmen to draw straight parallel lines

is Charlie's first purchase of today for £8.

Ooh, some nice railway memorabilia in here.

Look at these lovely things.

Leicester, Half Barriers Will Be Introduced,

British Railways, Beware Of Trains.

I'll tell you what I do like -

I like the 69 and a quarter, extremely heavy -

that's a lovely Midland Railway milepost.

It's a fun object, isn't it?

Made of cast iron, mounted.

You know, who'd make a cast-iron sign today?

That's a lovely object, isn't it?

It is, it's a very, very nice object.

A Midland Railway 69 and a quarter milepost.

That was obviously a great guide for the...

-Yeah, for the driver.

-For the driver, wasn't it?

-Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

-Steaming along.

-Yeah.

-Full head of steam.

-He wasn't going to miss that, was he?

-HE IMITATES STEAM TRAIN

-Anyway, he's got £100 on it.

What sort of, you know...? Does he take cheeky offers? 50, 60?

I could try.

-I'm going to make a cheeky offer.

-Yeah?

-50.

-OK, James...

-50.

-..I'll try.

A call to the dealer required, then.

Meanwhile, what's Charlie got his eye on?

Look at that. That is beautiful!

Marie Brizard et Roger.

Look, and there you can have four different liqueurs

in one decanter.

How old is that?

Cos those labels are in immaculate condition, aren't they?

-You'd think it was between the wars, probably.

-Yeah.

It might be '50s, it could easily be '30s.

-And only one problem.

-This one's lost its label, as you see.

Yeah, and that's just lost one of its glass stoppers.

Yes, unfortunately.

What a lovely object.

And if you put the different liqueurs in there,

the colours of them.

It's a clever thing, isn't it?

I don't suppose you're dying to see the back end of that, are you?

-I've had it in stock a long time.

-I love it.

I really love it.

Can I maybe get it for £30? Would you manage that?

I would. I think it's fantas...

I mean, that is a real problem,

but what a wonderfully visual object.

If I was really rude and I said would you take £25,

what would you say?

-Would you show me the door or...?

-Now, I'd accept it.

-Are you sure?

I've had it in stock a long, long time.

It'll be lovely to see it go and...

see it live another life somewhere else.

I'm going to have that.

-I think it's a really, really lovely object.

-Thank you.

It's got weight, it's got class,

and the great thing for me - it's got the original labels.

The decanter for £25,

down from a rather hefty ticket price of 75.

But what of James's £50 offer on the railway post?

-Right, James.

-Lynne. Oh, hold on.

-Do you have news for me?

-I do have news for you.

-Is it good news?

-Yes, it is very good news.

-Very good news?

-Yes, very good news.

Yeah, fire away.

-£55.

-55? He has a deal. Why not?

-That's really brilliant.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you, James.

Just throwing my money around.

The post is James's for £55.

Now, he's just got to get it out of the shop.

-Lift with the legs.

-That's very heavy.

-Oh!

-You want a trolley for that.

-Oh!

Don't hurt your back.

Look at him go.

Successful first shop for James,

picking up the Chinese tea caddy and the railway milepost for £110.

But Charlie's still on the hunt.

An old radio. A 1920s radio.

There are serious collectors for that sort of thing.

Is it a battery-operated one or is it a plug in job?

-I would have never thought it was, but, yes, look.

-It is!

-Good grief.

-I would never have thought that.

And that came out, actually did come out of someone's attic not long go.

-Did it?

-And it didn't...

-And it didn't cost anything?

-No.

It will make much either, unfortunately.

No, it won't, but I'll give you a fiver for it, just for a laugh.

£10.

For 10 quid...piece of cake, this is.

-I'm going to have your radio.

-OK. Thank you.

Purely on price.

I feel like the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

-Wrong colour, but close.

-Wrong colour!

Charlie's spent a total of £43 on the draughtsman's rule...

..the decanter...

and the vintage portable radio.

You'll have to try harder if you want to blow the lot, Charlie.

James's second shop

is off the beaten track

in the tiny Norfolk parish

of Tottenhill.

-Hello. James.

-Hello. Arthur.

Hello. Nice to meet you, Arthur.

Well, you sell a lovely lot of stock in here.

-So, we've got silver, we've got masses of furniture.

-Yes.

-Shall I just have rootle around?

-Mm-hm.

James has £110.10 left to spend.

-It's a good straw hat, that.

-Mm-hm.

JAMES SIGHS

Ooh, look at those Doulton vases.

Henry Doulton was one of those great Victorian entrepreneurs,

and where there's muck, there's brass,

and Henry Doulton put in all the sewage lining,

salt-glazed stoneware for London.

Put in all these big pipes for sanitation, for water.

He made so much money,

and he formed this union with the Lambeth School of Art.

And so he took the brightest and best

to work in his studios and started doing art pottery.

Arthur, they're very nice, aren't they?

-They are, they are.

-And... What?

So, your price is...?

£50, and that's the best I can do on them.

£50? I'll take it, Arthur. Thank you very much indeed.

-Right.

-So, that's good. We've started off to a flying start.

These two vases were produced by Hannah Barlow,

a renowned designer for Doulton Lambeth.

They're potentially pretty valuable, so great spot, James.

He's on a roll now.

Look at him go. Nice box.

Devices like this were all the rage in the 19th century.

It's electrotherapy,

and it dubiously promised to cure diseases and boost energy.

So, you hold these in both hands, wind the handle frenetically

and it gives you an electrical charge, and I'll be buzzy,

-I'll be singing arias...

-HE SINGS OPERATICALLY

..and all this sort of thing any moment now, and, you know...

But it's lovely. It's a beautifully made box.

You know, the Victorians were beautifully mad, you know?

Anything to sort of, sort of energise you, you can imagine.

This is all pre-television stuff,

so, you know, you're sitting peacefully in your parlour,

you've had your early supper -

what you do in the evening?

Well, you invent something

that's supposed to give you a bit more energy.

They all took to their beds, didn't they, in the 19th century?

They had a touch of the vapours, took to your beds

and, you know, what better way to get somebody out the bed

-than a large electric shock?

-ARTHUR CHUCKLES

How much of the got on this?

-30?

-50. No...

Well, 30... Yeah, 35, I'd do it for.

35.

-I'll give you 35 for it.

-All right. Fair enough.

-Thank you, Arthur.

So, James has spent a total of £85 on the mahogany medical instrument

and the fantastic two Doulton Lambeth vases.

He's doing a great job at spending his money today.

-It's been an absolute pleasure.

-Cheers.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

-Bye.

-Bye.

Ooh, mind your hand there, James.

Charlie's travelling to

the Norfolk town of Wisbech.

He's come to the birthplace of

19th-century social reformist Octavia Hill.

Hill was one of the founders of the National Trust.

She was also a driving force

for the creation and provision of social housing

and open spaces for the poor.

She strongly believed in a fairer, more inclusive society

and that natural beauty should be accessible to everyone.

Museum curator Peter Clayton is here to tell Charlie more about her life.

-Peter!

-Charlie!

-Hello. Charlie.

-Good to meet you.

-Very nice to see you too.

Welcome to Octavia Hill's Birthplace House.

For 50 years, Octavia Hill tried to enable everybody

-to have happy homes...

-Yep.

-..open spaces.

-Yep.

The National Trust motto, which she founded in 1895,

is For Ever, For Everyone.

Born into a family of social reformers,

Octavia's values and beliefs were shaped from a young age,

but another huge influence on her life

was the famous art critic and philanthropist John Ruskin.

-She had an association with Ruskin.

-Oh, very much so.

-No, Ruskin was the inspiration for her life.

-Really?

He actually, he actually, as we'll see later,

bankrolled her first excursions and the invention of social housing

and the beginnings of modern social work

all came from John Ruskin.

Many of the documents show just what an influence John Ruskin had on her.

-Right.

-Hugely important,

and Ruskin inherited all his father's money

and said to Octavia,

"What would you do if you had all this money?"

and she said, "I would do something

-"to help the housing of the poor people."

-Yeah.

Ruskin had such faith in his young protege

that in 1864, he purchased three houses in London

in an area known as Little Hell

due to the appalling living conditions.

He handed over management of

the properties and the tenants to Octavia,

who, at this time, was only 26.

She ran things with social responsibility

at the heart of it all.

An exhibit recreating one of these slums

is on display at the museum.

She becomes the first social worker.

So, the man we see there, collecting the rent,

-who has no interest other than the money...

-Yeah.

..is replaced by her women workers

and her initially showing the way, how it could be done,

and then effectively the first actual social workers,

who come in, instead of just collecting the money,

they say, "How are you?" "Are the children going to school?"

"And if you can't pay the rent, let's see what we can do about it."

"Let's see if we can give you a little bit of work."

And it's a whole action plan.

The most extraordinary thing of all about her

is her ability to lead, and other people had trust in her -

they would give her money knowing she would use it very well.

But - and this is most important -

she profiled it as not charity, not philanthropy, but business.

Octavia Hill's other guiding principles

were that people should have access

to open space and a community meeting place.

In 1887, this philosophy became a reality in South London

when she established Red Cross Hall Cottage and Garden.

The museum houses a replica model

of this pioneering social housing scheme.

So, what's the specific importance of this site?

This site, in my view, is of urban importance,

because she's created a model here which was replicated

and feeds into the whole history of modern town planning.

-It's right near London Bridge...

-Yeah.

-..in Southwark,

which was, of course, a very distressed area,

25 people per 1,000 dying each year of all the...

-mostly from the appalling living conditions.

-Yeah.

And what we have here is happy homes

managed by Octavia Hill and her community,

open spaces and a community hall -

those are the three elements that she had from day one.

What a change for people.

Yes, and the key thing is it was for everybody.

Octavia Hill's tireless work continued,

and in 1895, along with fellow conservationists Robert Hunter

and Hardwicke Rawnsley,

she co-founded the National Trust.

The trust now owns over 500 historic properties

and is dedicated to preserving Britain's heritage and open spaces

for all to enjoy forever.

It's been a busy old day...

..so rest up, chaps...

..and nighty-night.

It's a brand-new day,

and the boys are back on the road in search of the Holy Grail.

You've got a bit of a smug look about you,

-to be perfectly honest.

-I...

Charlie, I think I bought a game changer yesterday.

-You haven't.

-Yep. Not just one but two.

-Two game changers in one day?!

-Two game changers in one day.

-It was one of those moments.

-A golden moment?

-A Road Trip moment.

Oh... Is it your greatest Road Trip moment to date?

It could be. The gods shone upon me.

They were indeed, because yesterday

James unearthed two potentially very valuable Doulton Lambeth vases

for £25 each.

He also bought a Chinese tea caddy for £55,

a cast-iron railway post, also for £55,

and a Victorian medical instrument for 35.

That leaves him with £25.10 left for his final shop.

Charlie bought a draughtsman's rule for £8,

a vintage battery radio for ten

and a liqueur decanter for £25.

He still has £154.62 left for the day ahead.

Charlie's heading to

the Norfolk market town of Hingham.

Courtyard Antiques, run by John and his wife,

is the first shop of the day.

And time to get spending, Charlie.

-Hello? Hello?

-Knock, knock.

-Anyone in?

-Yes. Charlie.

-Hello! That's me!

-That's you.

-And you are?

-John.

-John. Lovely to see you.

-How nice to meet you.

God, don't you live in a lovely part of the world?

-And how long have you been here?

-This shop, about a year.

It's my wife's shop, and I just help out.

Where is she today? Hiding?

She's hiding. She heard about your reputation.

Well, if I could have a look round...

-Actually, something took my eye as I came in.

-Really?

I have been shopping already on my trip and bought one of these.

Well, when I say bought it, I was very nearly given it,

and it went off to auction and it did all right,

so I'm on a roll with these.

Oh, well, that's right up your street, then.

On the last leg, Charlie snapped up a Grafonola record player for £40,

although he had to use a bit of fancy footwork to seal the deal.

-Does it work?

-Of course it works. It's a splendid machine.

# I'll be with you

# In apple blossom times... #

-Lovely. Would you care to...?

-Would you dance with me, John?

# I'll be with you... #

How beautifully you dance.

-Thank you so much.

-CHARLIE CHUCKLES

It's fantastic.

I wonder how I've lived without it all my life, really.

Try me with the price.

It's an incredible £85.

Ah... I bought mine for 40 quid...

-Yeah.

-..and it...it did make 80 at auction.

Frighten me with a good price.

-Well, it won't be a good price, but it'll certainly frighten you.

-Yes?

It'd have to be rather like the last one -

-sort of 30 quid or something.

-No, it can't be, I'm afraid.

I didn't think it could.

Perhaps one to set aside for now then, Charlie,

and just keep looking.

This three-piece clock set has a ticket price of £140.

I love them. I have to say, that is pure Art Deco.

-If that isn't 1930...

-It works and the key's there, so...

Does it tick?

-Yes, it does. Yeah, very loudly.

-IGO - in going order. Or IWO.

Well, you can make me a silly offer, if you like, cos...

I'm losing the competition at the moment.

I don't suppose this has any bearing on your feelings whatsoever,

but James is beating me.

-A little.

-Does it? A little?

-Yeah.

-I'll tell you what...

-Yeah?

-Take the clock for 50 quid.

HE RUBS HIS HANDS ENTHUSIASTICALLY

-Yeah, I'll give you 50 quid for your clock set.

-Thank you very much.

It's not a great offer,

and frankly, when the missus comes back in here,

she'll say, "Thank goodness that clock set's gone."

No, no, she'll give me such a hard time.

-CHARLIE LAUGHS

-I'll be suffering for this.

-So, why don't you have both?

-Erm...

-90 quid for the two.

Mm, lordy, it seems as though Charlie and record players

are just meant to be on this trip.

So, the clock, that could be 50 quid,

-and the record player could be 50 quid?

-Yeah.

-But you could have both of them for 90.

-Oh!

-There's a bulk purchase offer there.

-Yes, why not?

-Um...

-We want you to win, Charlie.

Oh, you're a wonderful man.

-I'll have the two for 90, sir.

-Good man.

Thank you very much indeed.

-Very sensible buy.

-I'm thrilled I called in.

So, after some generosity from John,

Charlie's picked up the Art Deco clock set for £50

and the wind-up gramophone for £40. Wow.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you very much, Charlie.

And thank your wife if she ever comes back.

-I doubt it.

-CHARLIE CHUCKLES

James is travelling to

the Norfolk town of Thetford.

In the mid-1800s, Norfolk became home to maharajah Duleep Singh,

an Indian prince with a fascinating story.

His connection to these parts is celebrated here

at the Ancient House Museum of Thetford Life.

James is meeting curator Oliver Bone.

-Hello, Oliver.

-Ah, James, hello.

Welcome to the Ancient House Museum.

It is very beautiful.

Now, who would've lived here? Who would've built it?

This is a wonderful building that is about 500 years old,

and we think it was first built by some wealthy merchant of the town.

But these days, we have a fascinating connection

with the Indian subcontinent

through the story of maharajah Duleep Singh,

and I'd love to tell you that story.

-A maharajah in Norfolk?

-Exactly.

-Lead on.

-Come through this way.

Duleep Singh was the last maharaja of the Sikh Empire

and was just an child when the British forcefully annexed

the Punjab territory of India.

Not only his kingdom but his property were taken by the British,

including the Koh-I-Noor diamond.

Once the largest diamond in the world,

it's now part of the British Crown Jewels.

The young maharajah himself was uprooted from his home in India

and adopted into a British aristocratic family.

Ah, is this our man?

And this is our man, the maharajah Duleep Singh.

He was great friends with the Royal family

and the connections with the Royal family go back to his boyhood

when he was a boy king

in the northern kingdom of the Punjab in India.

And we have here a copy of the famous Koh-I-Noor diamond.

Isn't that a wonderful thing?

-This comes from the Indian subcontinent...

-Right.

..and was owned by the maharajah's father, Ranjit Singh,

and then it passed down to him as the last king of the Punjab.

The dear old Brits, we annexed poor old...the Punjab,

and what did he get in return?

In exchange for his rights to his kingdom and his possessions,

he was given a pension by the British.

The pension he received from the government

allowed him to purchase a 17,000 acre country estate.

Although he was able to live life as an English aristocrat,

it was nothing in comparison to

the Indian kingdom taken away from him,

and he grew to resent this.

He was a great favourite of Queen Victoria,

and he, when he came to Britain,

he was invited to be with the Queen,

and I think she was rather sort of enamoured by him

and it was from this time that he made great friends with Edward

and others in the Royal family.

So he was very much part of court.

Was he a happy man here?

He was happy at first, I think,

but as time developed,

he felt that he'd been mistreated by the British

and his rebellious spirit perhaps came to the fore.

He decided that he wanted to go back to India,

maybe reclaim his kingdom.

So, he attempted to go back with his family,

they were stopped by the British at Aden,

and the family came back to this country.

But he then went on to try and raise a rebellion against the British

from Russia, from the North,

but this, sadly, well, from his perspective, it came to nothing

and his health failed him, and he died in Paris in 1893.

This sad story is a stark example of the cost paid

by many for British imperialism.

However, the maharajah's children,

and in particular his second son, Prince Frederick -

or Freddy as he was known -

embraced their lives as part of the British aristocracy.

Freddy was a major in the Norfolk Yeomanry

and was on active service in France in World War I.

He's also responsible for the establishment of the museum

here in Thetford.

And here, James, we have a photograph of Prince Frederick.

Ah!

Prince Frederick was the great benefactor of this museum.

Yeah. So, why did Freddie buy this building?

Well, this building came up for sale in the 1920s,

and the Thetford Borough Council approached Prince Frederick.

They knew how fascinated he was in history and collecting,

and he was the perfect person to approach

to set up a museum for the town.

Well, it's a really beautiful house, and it's a lovely collection,

and, yeah, a great story.

Thanks you very much indeed, Oliver.

The boys are en route

to the town of Swaffham.

This old grammar school has

been converted into an antiques shop and tea room.

It is the last chance for Charlie and James

to add to their antiques haul on this leg.

-Here we are. Get your nose in.

-Get my nose in here.

-There we are. Look. How lovely.

-Oh.

-Have you got any money left?

-£25. How about you?

-A little more.

-Oh!

-Would you like some pansies?

-I'm not sure I can afford them.

With lots on offer here,

it's up to owner Melanie to make sure James and Charlie play fair.

There's a lady at work here, Bingo.

-Hello!

-Hello.

-Is this your establishment?

-It certainly is.

-You must be Melanie, then.

-I am.

-This is my good friend, James Braxton.

-Hello, Melanie.

-Hello. Nice to meet you.

-Very good to meet you.

Is there another room through there?

-There's another two rooms through there.

-Two rooms!

I will go to the far end. I'll leave you with Melanie...

-I'll stay here with Melanie.

-..momentarily.

We may be some time.

How are we all feeling, then, boys?

He's obviously bought something seriously good.

I've bought some reasonable items.

I've got 60 quid left, but...

..I haven't got a game changer,

and he used the words game changer, didn't he?

And he's already ahead by a canvas,

and I think he said he was going to open up a clear water between us.

I need Melanie like I've...

never needed anybody in my life before, frankly.

James seems altogether more relaxed, I'd say, understandably.

HE PLAYS HORN BADLY

Lovely tone.

Every time he sees a blooming bugle, he blows the thing.

Ah! The binoculars are fantastic.

-Aren't they beautiful?

-They are. They're lovely.

-28 quid? Do they work?

-Yes.

They do.

Marvellous. Oh, I can see a palm tree.

-I'm not sure I am in Swaffham!

-MELANIE LAUGHS

-They're lovely.

-They're beautiful.

-Cor blimey. They're worth negotiating on, I think.

-OK.

One to think about.

James is off to check out a shop called Wiggle Room Stuff,

a separate little unit based on the same site.

-Hello. James.

-Hello. Lovely to meet you. Julie.

-Hello, Julie. How are you?

-Very well, thank you.

Now, Julie, I don't come here with a lot of money,

so I've got a small amount of money, but I want to buy something spot-on.

I mean, they're useful, aren't they?

-They're good.

-They're gorgeous, they are.

They're just what I need to file, to organise my filing.

So, they're brass-trimmed in-and-out files.

They're rather fun. They're a pair. Er...

You know, this is organisation on a...

Put your post in here and then deal with it.

Deal with it the same day, preferably.

-What would buy those, Julie?

-Erm...

-Think small.

-£18 to you.

-You've got yourself a deal, Julie.

-Thank you.

Come on, let me pay you.

That little jaunt has been well worth it for James,

picking up a pair of 1920s mahogany in-and-out trays for £18.

-Thank you. 20.

-Great.

-Thank you. Bye.

-Bye.

But will Charlie bid for the binoculars?

Owner Paul has come to discuss price. Look out.

How much are your binoculars?

-I love those.

-20.

-How much?

-20.

It's getting better.

-No, that's about it.

-As far as it goes.

-LAUGHING:

-As far as it goes! Aren't they lovely, though?

-Are they First World War ones?

-Yes.

And they're optically nice.

-Are they?

-He does the jokes.

You're right -

Melanie looks absolutely sensational through these...

not that she doesn't anyway!

I'm going to buy your First World War binoculars

-for £20, sir.

-OK.

So, £20 for the binoculars completes the shopping for this leg.

Charlie Ross has spent £153 on six lots.

He's picked up a 19th-century draughtsman's rule,

a wind-up gramophone,

an Art Deco three-piece clock set,

a battery-operated radio,

a glass decanter

and the pair of World War I binoculars.

James Braxton spent £213 on his six lots -

the Chinese tea caddy,

the railway mileage post,

the two Doulton Lambeth vases,

the mahogany-cased Victorian medical instrument

and the pair of in-and-out trays.

But what do they make of each other's purchase?

We all know Charlie's very musical.

He's got the gramophone, now he's added a radio at £10.

Now, that could do quite well.

I don't think he's got the star there to take me on this leg.

Now, let's face it - he's bought two Hannah Barlow vases for £50 -

£25 each.

He has BLOWN me away.

Well done, James.

The boys are travelling

to the auction

in the Cambridgeshire town

of St Ives.

I don't know how you've done it.

I was scrabbling around in my shops,

-desperately trying to buy a little bit of this and that...

-Yeah.

..and then lo and behold,

the old oppo comes up with two pieces of pure heaven.

-You've sunk me! Oh, without trace!

-Ah...

All is not lost, Charlie. Funny things can happen at auctions.

Hyperion Auctions has been running for 20 years

and holds sales of antiques, collectables

and general household items every three weeks.

What does auctioneer Rod Best think of Charlie and James's purchase?

Whoa, right. Now, the Barlow vases, Hannah Barlow.

I mean, what a name.

Beautiful condition, the pair of them.

I'm expecting in excess of 200.

It wouldn't surprise me if you go to 200

and it just rise, rise, rise up to 400.

We'll see.

Eyes down, chaps. Time for the auction to begin.

This could be very exciting.

First up, it's James's rather large Chinese tea caddy.

-That's enormous.

-It is big, isn't it?

I've got several commissions. 40, 50.

I can start you at just £60.

-Ooh!

-Just 60.

-I'm looking at 65.

At £60. It's with me. I will sell.

Fair warning on this. I'm selling.

-£60.

-£60.

A £5 profit before auction costs there,

so a modest start for James.

Next, we have Charlie's Art Deco clock set.

-Let's try 30. I'll try 30.

-Oh!

-20 please?

-HE FEIGNS SOBBING

Oh! 20. We've started. We've started at 20.

22? 22.

25? 28? 30?

35?

-There's a bit of a rhythm.

-That's it. Yes.

-40.

-Come on.

No? 40, Helen? 40.

New bidder in the room at £40.

In the room. I will sell. Fair warning.

New bidder. Helen, yours. £40.

-I think it could've been a lot worse.

-Bingo...

Oh, Charlie, that's not helping your cause.

Next, it's James's in-and-out trays.

With me at 30 on commission. I'm asking now 35.

I am in the presence of a master.

Against the internet, against you.

With me at 30.

I will sell to an internet bid at £30.

-30.

-That's more like it.

That reasonable profit keeps James in the lead.

Next for Charlie is his battery-operated radio.

-What age is this radio?

-1958? '60? Something like that.

-Oh...

-Yeah, quite old.

-Well, let's start at ten. Low start. Ten we have.

-Oh!

Give me 12 now. It's a maiden bid at ten.

Now, that's low for this. It's a good, a good radio.

At ten. I will sell. I will sell.

On £10, your maiden bid. At £10. Are we all done?

Ten.

With auction costs, that will be a small loss.

Perhaps he'll have more luck with the wind-up gramophone.

Did you do well on the last gramophone?

Yeah. Cost 40 - sold for 80.

I have £10 only. That said. Tenner only.

-What?!

-I know. Low start.

I'm looking for 12 now. 12. 15 anywhere?

We've got a long way to go to get to 80.

Where's 15? 15 there.

18? 20?

-Come on.

-Come on.

-18 there.

Looking for 20 now. 20.

Two? Five? Eight?

£25. And sell... 28.

30 anywhere? Got the internet at 28.

On the screen, £28.

I will sell. Fair warning.

Auctioneer won't wait. 28.

-28.

-It's time to hoist the white flag.

-LAUGHING:

-"Hoist the white flag."

Not quite yet. Ha, no more gramophones, though.

James's Victorian electrotherapy medical instrument now.

Stand by for a shock.

Quite a low start. £10. 10? 12? 15?

18? 20? Two? Five? 25?

It's in the room at 25. I'm looking for 28 now.

-There aren't many medics in the room, are there?

-30.

It's the front row at 30.

You're out, you're out, he's in. We're done. 30.

-30.

-30.

-Well, again, it's a small working loss, isn't it?

It's a working loss again.

Only a small loss, James.

Time to see if Charlie's binoculars can help him out.

I just think that anything that survives the trenches

deserves our bidding.

I don't think you'll be able to see further than about ten feet

-when you're using those...

-That's all you needed.

-The trenches weren't far apart.

-Well... Anyway...

-He hasn't helped there as much, has he?

-No.

Got to be sold. Five, I've got. Eight. Ten, 12.

Ten with you, sir. Selling at £10. Oh, 12. Net's in.

15? 15. It's 15 here. 18 anywhere?

18. He's got one more. 20? 20, it is.

-Yes! Now we're going.

-Come on!

-22? 25?

-Yes!

-22. It's going.

Are we all done? Fair warning on this.

At 22. There we go.

Now, when the auctioneer says, "I've now got a pair of binoculars

"and you can't see anything through them," it doesn't help.

It doesn't, it doesn't.

Fair point well made there, Charlie.

Hopefully his draughtsman's rule will fare better.

Where do we want to bid? Five?

Five? Terry, well done. That's five for Terry.

-We're looking for eight now.

-Eight.

-They want it.

-Selling to Terry.

Against you all. Front row. Eight, I've got.

Ten, Terry? 12, sir?

Ten's in the front row again.

-12 - new bidder. 15, Terry?

-It's a profit!

I will sell. We're all done? Done.

JAMES CHUCKLES A profit's a profit, Charlie,

and the competition's still close.

That's all right, isn't it?

James's railway mileage post is next to go.

£10 start. Let's start at ten. Low start at ten.

£10. Looking for 12.

12, they've got. 15? 18?

-How much do we need?

-30.

-18? 20? 22?

-25?

-There we go.

-28?

-Oh, we're going.

30? Five?

30. 30 there. 30 to you, then. All done? £30.

That loss gives Charlie the narrowest of leads.

Can his final lot, the glass decanter, come up trumps?

Fiver, if you like. It's got to be sold.

-I can't believe this, Bingo. Bingo...

-£5? Eight? Ten? 12?

-12 here now. 12 here. 15?

-Come on.

-No? There's 12 here. 15? Yes, 15. 18?

-Come on.

18? 18?

15, then. Behind you at 15.

There it goes. I'm selling a £15. 15. Thank you.

-I think here, my case rests.

-15.

-I've failed.

-Dear, oh, dear.

Not the result Charlie was hoping for.

So, it all comes down to James's much-heralded

Hannah Barlow Doulton Lambeth vases.

How will the first one do?

50, I have. 55 on the left. 60? Five? 70? Five?

-It's still climbing.

-80? Five?

-Ride it.

90 on the net. 100? 100 there. 110? 120?

-Got a long way to go, Bingo.

-140?

150? 160? 160. 180?

Lordy, James has blown Charlie out of the water with this lot.

170? 180? 170 to the net.

Last fair warning on this. At £170.

All done? 170.

I have to say well done.

A very impressive result for James there.

It'll be interesting to see what the next one makes.

Well, let's see, shall we, James?

80, I've got. Give me 90 now. 90. 100? 110? 120?

130? 140? 140, I've got. 140.

-Looking for 150. 150. 160?

-This might make more.

-160. In the room at 160.

-This is interesting.

-170 now.

170. They're awake. We're awake. 180? 180. It's against you...

Are deer more unusual than sheep? I suppose they are.

I've got 200. 220?

210, if it helps?

200's on the net. Make no mistake in that.

It's against you all. On the net at £200 dead. Done.

Fantastic result.

The Doulton Lambeth vases were indeed the game changer,

which leaves their piggybanks like this.

Charlie started with £197.62.

After auction costs, he lost £48.86,

leaving him with £148.76.

James started the day with £220.10.

After auction costs, he made an amazing profit of £213.40,

leaving him with £433.50 to spend next time.

-Large profit, sir.

-A large profit.

-Thank you.

-Carry on, sir. Do get in.

-Thank you, thank you.

-Where to, sir?

-Erm, Central London, I think, Ross.

-The nightclub, sir?

-Night...

-JAMES LAUGHS

So, bragging rights to Braxton,

and Charlie's on chauffeuring duties.

Cheerio, chaps.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

James shows off his artistic side...

As Michelangelo used to say, you release the figure.

..and Charlie is, well, Charlie.

-Ring that tenant.

-One second.

-Tell him I'm a really nice chap.

-I will do.